Universal joint assembly method and apparatus



Nov. 16, 1965 K. SPIESS ETAL 3,217,399

UNIVERSAL JOINT ASSEMBLY METHOD AND APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledDec. 14 1964 INVENTORS K AR L 5 Pl E S 5 HA ROLD SCHONFELD BY WW/ 14ATTORNEYS Nov. 16, 1965 Filed Dec.

FIG.2

K. SPIESS ETAL UNIVERSAL JOINT ASSEMBLY METHOD AND APPARATUS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS KARL SPIE SS BY HAROLD SCHONFELD HdyLvMn/flATTORNEYS United States Patent 1 Germany Filed Dec. 14, 1964, Ser. No.418,150.

Claimspriority, application Germany, Dec. 19,1963, 3 Claims. in. 29-437trunnions and a novel apparatus for performing the saidmethod.

In our copending, commonly assigned application Serial No. 391,246,filed August 27, 1964, there is described a method of assemblinguniversal joints of this type. The said method comprises-centering thespider and the shaft'forks relative to one another, pressing bearingsinto the bores of the fork arms until they abut without free playagainst the spider trunnions while supporting the reaction forceresulting from the pressing in force at the fork arms and securelyfixing the bearing on the base of the fork arm. One means of securelyfixing the bearing is cold forming noses from the bore wall by impactextrusion with a ram provided with projections whose outer edges are ona diameter greater than the diameter of the bore, whereby the said nosesbear against the end face of the bearing sleeve.

The number of noses required depends upon the axial forces that thebearing is subjected to in its operation and the axial forces aredetermined by the speed of rotation during the operation of theuniversal joint and on the compactness of the joint and on the distanceof the bearings from the axis of the said joint. However, the number ofnoses capable of being formed is limited by the amount of force whichcan be applied to form the said noses. In our said copendingapplication, the reaction forces from the pressing-in and impactextrusion forces are transmitted to the fork arms through specialholding clips or clamps. In small and fast rotating universal joints,the space for accommodating the holding clips is very small and theclips are applied to the outer edges of the fork arms. The fork arms ofsaid universal joints are frequently destroyed by the large amount offorce required to form the large number of noses required by the axialforces to which the bearing is subjected.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method ofassembling universal joints wherein the formedon noses to hold thebearings in position are formed in series.

In is another object of the invention to provide an improved method ofassembling universal joints wherein the force required to form noses tohold the bearings in position is held at a minimum.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel apparatus forforming noses on the bore of a shaft arm of a universal joint to holdthe bearings in place.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeobvious from the following detailed description.

The improved method of the invention for assembling universal jointsformed by the connection of two shafts forked at their ends with auniversal joint spider and having radially and axially loadable bearingsfor accommodating the spider trunnions arranged in bores in the shaftforks comprises centering the spider and shaft forks Patented Nov. 16",1965' relative to one another, pressing each bearing into the bore ofthe fork arm. until it abuts without. free play,

against the spider trunnion while supporting the reaction forceresulting from the pressing-in forceat the fork arrn and securely fixingthe said bearing in the bore of the shaft fork, by cold forming insuccessive steps groups of noses. from the bore walls whichbear againstthe end face ofthebear-ing.

By cold-forming the noses in. successive groups, the

forces necessary-toform each groupof noses is less than that required toform all the noses at once and the shaft forks will not be destroyed.Thismay be accomplished byv rotatingthe annular-ram used;intheimpactextrusion at a predetermined. angle after, the formation of eachgroup, of noses. simply effected by connecting the piston with, astepwise advancing; mechanism which, will move the ram thedesirednumber. of. degrees by advancing. or fallingback for example.

The apparatus of the invention. for assembling-universal jointsaccordingtothe method: ofthe invention is comprise-d of a ram. meansprovided withprojections whose. outer edges lie ona diameter longerthanthe bore diameter for. pressing in and fixing the bearing in the bore ofthe shaft fork arm, pressure applying meansconnectedto the said rammeans. to provide the pressing-in force and, the force for formingnosesinthe bore tofix the bearing in place and displaceable relative tothe fork arm in the axial direction of the bore, adjustable abutmentmeans to limit the displacement travel of the pressure applying meansopposite to the pressing-in direction and means for transmittingreaction forces between the pressure applying means and the fork arm,the said ram means being rotatable to form the noses in the bore ingroups.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a single ram embodiment for pressing in and fixingthe bearing in the bore of the fork arm.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatically illustrated apparatus for assemblinguniversal joints by the method of the invention.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the ram 1 simultaneously presses-in thebearing into the bore of the shaft fork and forms the noses from thebore wall. The ram 1 has peripheral projections 2 whose outer edges areon a diameter greater than that of the bore and the front surfaces 3 ofthe projections 2 are at an angle of 60 to with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the ram. About the periphery of the ram 1, there isa gear train 4 which engages with ratchet 5, the latter being movablyconnected through bolt 6 to disc 7 mounted on ram 1 and rotatable in aperipheral direction but not movable in the axial direction. A bolt 8 issecurely connected to disc 7 and is engaged with a Z-shaped groove 9 inpart 10 which is fixedly mounted opposite the ram 1. The disc 7 isrotated by bolt 8 in the curved groove 9 which is relayed to ram 1through the ratchet 5 and the gear train 4 thereby turning the ram 1 toa specified position. When the ram advances, the disc 7 is rotated inthe opposite direction and the ratchet 5 is lifted by the cogs of thegear train 4 whereby the rotation is not relayed to the ram 1. In placeof a single ram a double ram may be used which first presses in thebearing and then forms thevgroups of noses in succession.

F IG. 2 shows diagrammatically an apparatus at the beginning of themethod of the invention. The shaft 11, provided with fork arms 12 and 13at its end, is fixed in apparatus 14. A universal joint spider 15comprising two trunnions 16 and 17 which are at right angles to theshaft 11 is held by a mounting (not shown) and its position therein iscentered with respect to the shaft 11 and bores 18 and 19 in the forkarms 12 and 13, respectively. Device 20 produces a force which throughthe agency of The rotation of; thesaid ram may be,

ram 1 presses bearing 21 into the bore 19 of fork arm 12 until play-freeabutment of the bearing 21 against the trunnion 17 is brought about andsimultaneously forms noses in the bore 19 so that the bearing 21 isfixed in the bore. A supporting clip 22 is provided between device 20and fork arm 12 with hook 24 app-lied against inner surface 25 of forkarm 12 to transmit the reaction force resulting from the pressing-in andnose-forming operation which begins by device 20 to fork arm 12.Adjustable abutment member 23 is provided which, before or during thepressing-in operation, is brought into the position of abutment and thenshifted back to the desired extent for displacement of device 20. Afterbearing 21 has been pressed in and the first group of noses formed byprojections 2, the ram 1 is rotated and additional groups of noses areformed in the bore.

Various modifications of the apparatus of the invention may be madewithout departing from the spirit or scope there-of and it is to beunderstood that the invention is to be limited only as defined in theappended claims.

We claim:

1. A method for assembling universal joints formed by the connection oftwo shafts forked at their ends with a universal joint spider and havingradially and axially loadable bearings for accommodating the spidertrunnions arranged in bores in the shaft forks which comprises centeringthe spider and shaft forks relative to one another, pressing eachbearing into the bore of the fork arm until it abuts without free playagainst the spider trunnion while supporting the reaction forceresulting from the pressing-in force at the fork arms and securelyfixing the said bearing in the bore of the shaft fork by cold forming insuccessive steps a group of noses from the bore walls which bear againstthe end face of the bearing.

2. An apparatus for assembling universal joints formed by the connectionof two shafts forked at their ends with a universal joint spider andhaving radial-1y and axially loadable bearings for accommodating thespider trunnions in bores in the shaft forks comprising a ram meansprovided with projections whose outer edges lie on a diameter longerthan the bore diameter for pressing in and fixing the bearing in thebore of the shaft fork arm, pressure applying means connected to thesaid ram means to provide the pressing-in force and the force forforming noses in the bore to fix the bearing in place and displace ablerelative to the fork arm in the axial direction of the bore, adjustableabutment means to limit the displacement travel of the pressure applyingmeans opposite to the pressing-in direction and means for transmittingreaction forces between the pressure applying means and the fork arm,the said ram means being rotatable to form the noses in the bore ingroups.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the ram means is rotatable through aspecific angle after forming each group of noses.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,737,706 3/1956Isaac et a1 29l48.4 2,768,725 10/1956 Foulds et a1 29511 X 3,008,22611/1961 Kellerman 29201 WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner.

1. A METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING UNIVERSAL JOINTS FORMED BY THE CONNECTION OFTWO SHAFTS FORKED AT THEIR ENDS WITH A UNIVERSAL JOINT SPIDER AND HAVINGRADIALLY AND AXIALLY LOADABLE BEARINGS FOR ACCOMMODATING THE SPIDERTRUNNIONS ARRANGED IN BORES IN THE SHAFT FORKS WHICH COMPRISES CENTERINGTHE SPIDER AND SHAFT FORKS RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, PRESSING EACHBEARING INTO THE BORE OF THE FORK ARM UNTIL IT ABUTS WITHOUT FREE PLAYAGAINST THE SPIDER TRUNNION WHILE SUPPORTING THE REACTION FORCERESULTING FROM THE PRESSING-IN FORCE AT THE FORK ARMS AND SECURELYFIXING THE SAID BEARING IN THE BORE OF THE SHAFT FORK BY COLD FORMING INSUCCESSIVE STEPS A GROUP OF NOSES FROM THE BORE WALLS WHICH BEAR AGAINSTTHE END FACE OF THE BEARING.